The Bond

Noah [1]

-2030-

The raindrops got heavier as they ran home quickly, using their respective jackets as head protection while thunder started to sound, lightning bolts started to appear. The puddles splashed wildly from their stampede, but they didn't care; home was near and they had to be faster. The red-haired man called out over the roar for the man behind him to accept his jacket so he wouldn't get too soaked, then he grabbed the man's wrist.

After a long run, home was finally in sight and they jumped a waist-deep fence, headed for the door and opened it quickly, before Michael slammed the door shut and panted.

"Damn it, I didn't know the rain would be that bad." Michael caught his breath after placing two wet jackets beside the shoe rack, then he turned to his husband. "Are you okay?"

Ennard nodded. "Yes," he answered simply. "I'd like to take a bath with warm water now."

The corner of Michael's lips lifted. "Sounds good."

"Didn't I tell you not to go today?" His father stepped out of the kitchen towards the two of them while hands on his hips, in his hand was a rag—it looked like he was washing dishes. "It's been cloudy since morning, and you kept being stubborn to go out, now you're both drenched in rain, soaked as fuck. What if you get sick later?"

Michael raised his eyebrows before he shrugged his shoulders. "I have great immunity even before we die," he said. "And Ennard is an animatronic, he won't get sick."

Ennard glanced at Michael for a moment.

"You're so headstrong." William narrowed his eyes in annoyance at the eldest before he sighed. "Hurry up and take a shower."

"Yeah yeah."

Michael grunted a bit as he walked off to the bathroom, his wet feet making tracks on the wooden floor. Ennard paused there for a while, he took the two wet jackets and intended to take them to the laundry room before following Michael. He stepped through the hall, past the youngest's room whose door was slightly open—showing Chris having fun with Nightmare and his father-in-law's lover.

Then his steps stopped as soon as he felt a shocking sensation in the nape of his neck, making him wince softly and stroke his neck carefully.

"What happened to you?"

Ennard turned his head and found a short, auburn-haired girl looking at him in confusion. "Nothing," Ennard answered. "We just got rained on when we got home."

For a moment Elizabeth seemed skeptical. "I mean, when you were," she paused her words and made a motion to stroke the back of her neck, causing Ennard to raise an eyebrow—had Elizabeth seen him do that? "Also I noticed there was an electric spark there, so ...."

"Oh." Ennard held the nape of his neck again and glanced. "Looks like the rain just got my illusion disc in trouble, don't worry."

Ennard continued on his way to the laundry room after briefly patting Elizabeth on the head. He put the jacket into the dirty clothes basket, took off his scarf and put it in the same place. After that he took the towel perched there. The sound of a shower of water could already be heard from the bathroom, meaning Michael was the first to wash himself off the rain. He headed to the bathroom, though his forehead frowned slightly feeling his head throb. However, deciding not to heed it, he opened the bathroom door and entered.

"Oh hey, Enn." Michael gave him a warm smile before dousing his body with water from the bathtub which was full of water, the bandage covering his stomach was wet. "Come here, I want to wash your hair!"

He shook his head, making Michael bewildered. "My illusion disc seems to have an error a bit," he informed as he took off his top. "I don't want to spoil it with too much water, so I'll do it quickly." Ennard exhaled for a moment, he could still feel Michael's gaze fixed on him, making him feel shy even though he had tried covering it up.